Robert's review

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/116600.Longitude_The_True_Story_of_a_Lone_Genius_Who_Solved_the_Greatest_Scientific_Problem_of_His_Time?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time" border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514983HZ5YL._SL160_.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/116600.Longitude_The_True_Story_of_a_Lone_Genius_Who_Solved_the_Greatest_Scientific_Problem_of_His_Time?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3277.Dava_Sobel">Dava Sobel</a><br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18044331?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a> rating: 3 of 5 stars<br/>Biography of Englishman, John Harrison, 1693 - 1776. Harrison solved the problem of measuring latitude by inventing a clock - actually three plus two "Pocket watches", which kept accurate time. Difficult to do in those years. Latitude could be determined through azimuth of the sun, moon or stars. Longitude could be determined by knowledge of how far you were from Greenwich "mean time". Parliament's "Longitutde Act", 1714 created a 4500 pound prize for a "practical and useful" means of determining latitude. Harrison had to overcome fraudulent claims by numerous rivals. Even after establihsing his right to receive the prize he had to wait a long time. Finally, he got the support of George III who got things moving. (Must have ben before George went mad.) Harrison's clocks are displayed at the London Maritime Museum. <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/992439?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>